Dwyane Wade received the ultimate praise from his mother.

While co-hosting Today with Jenna & Friends on Monday (July 7), Jenna Bush Hager surprised him with a special pre-recorded message from his mother, Jolinda Wade.

“You are and have always been a blessing. A blessing to me and so many others whose lives you have touched,” Jolinda said in her message

“I remember how we became pen pals when I was incarcerated,” she reflected. “Your letters got me through each day and enabled me to be a part of all the wonderful things that were happening in your life.” 

Jolinda also praised her son for being a great father to his five children and for his support of his daughter Zaya, who in 2020 came out as transgender.

“When you sent me pictures of my grandson Zaire, I was able to tell from your letters how very proud you were,” Jolinda said.“You made up your mind that you were going to be the best dad you could be, and that is exactly what you’ve become. Son, you are simply one of the best dads a child could have. Just like everything else in your life, you give fatherhood your all.”

“My love, I admire how you embrace your beautiful child Zaya — my granddaughter,” Jolinda said. “And you encourage her to be who she is. What a dad. You protect her, and you speak with her to understand who she is. You don’t judge or condemn.” 

Following the video tribute, Jolinda appeared in person, where she spoke about all of the struggles she had to overcome in her life. 

“My kids struggled with me. I grappled many years with drug addiction. Heroin, alcohol, pills, well, you know, we can go on down, you name it. Alcoholism, homelessness, in and out of prison,” she said.  Just living a life that was totally separated from my babies. One thing I always wanted to be was a mother, and once I stopped being that person, I lost myself. And I didn’t know how to grab me back at the time.”

Jolinda has since turned her life around, becoming a pastor and running a church that Dwyane purchased for her in 2008.

"I respect my mother so much, from the life that she used to live, and to see her today in the life that she lives. I'm so proud of her," Dwyane said at the time. "Everybody thinks I'm the miraculous story in the family. I think she is. I think what I've done means I've been very blessed, but she's been more than blessed. She's been anointed."